Stormpaw
by RandomOutburst
Summary: What happens when a young, former loner becomes a Thunderclan apprentice and catches the eye of a certain gray den mate? Based on the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place during Into The Wild.
1. The Beginning

OK, so this is my first time ever writing a fan fiction. I kind of doubt itif a lot of people will even like this, but hey, I might as well give it a shot, right? Anyways, I have another chapter I can type up, but I won't do it unless you people review and tell me that you like it and that it doesn't suck, which personally is my own opinion. So yeah…OH! I just want to say that this may contain spoilers…I'm not sure… and that if you find spelling or grammar mistakes blame it on the fact that I wrote this at about 1:30 in the morning. Also, this takes place a few days after Firepaw's entry into the clan.

Oh, and I unfortunately do not own the Warriors series, though I wish I did. Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry A.K.A Erin Hunter write the Warriors series.

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_Silverpelt was glowing brilliantly above, illuminating the forest. Tess stalked past the trees silently, careful not to scare off all the prey. Suddenly, a familiar scent gained the young she-cat's full attention. Mouse. Ears pricked forward, mouth slightly open, crystal blue eyes scanning the forest floor quickly, Tess was determined to find it. A flash of brown fur was all she needed._

_The black feline pounced on the small creature flawlessly, and without a sound, Tess finished it off. Purring proudly at her catch, she picked the limp mouse up in her jaws and set off for home._

_Familiar settings soon came into view, as well as familiar smells and sounds. Eager to eat her catch, Tess continued to quickly pad on silently. Finally, the young she-cat spotted her home, but the sight she saw made her stomach churn. Her whole home was ablaze, at the mercy of angry, crackling flames. She let out a yowl of complete shock and panic. _

_Forgetting entirely about the mouse, which had hit the ground after her sudden outburst, Tess ran for her home, as if there were something she could do to stop the fire. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, the she-cat seemed glued to the spot, unable to move. She was forced to watch the merciless flames destroy her home. Another yowl, this one filled to the brim with grief, floated through the air and seemed to echo throughout the night._

Tess awoke to the sound of the old abandoned twoleg shack she called home moaning dangerously. The black feline blinked her icy blue eyes slowly, trying to take in several things at once. She noticed that the shack's temperature was higher than ever before, and saw a strange flickering light through every crack. There was also a horrible crackling noise from outside, and a strong putrid scent.

With sudden realization, the she-cat jumped up from her bed and ran outside, only to see that her beloved home really was on fire, and that it wasn't just a nightmare. The flaming roof collapsed within heartbeats, frightening the young cat, but she still did not move. The crackling of the fire drowned out her mournful cries, and all she could do was sit there and watch the flames devour her home.

"Alright boys, turn on the water. I think it's done." Tess looked around, bewildered, and saw a small group of twoleg toms. Thinking quickly, she hid in the shadows of a large oak tree, watching the twolegs work. The poured water over the flames, and it wasn't too long before only a few dying embers remained.

"That'll do. Let's call it a day and we can come back tomorrow." The same twoleg as before continued to speak, but Tess didn't hear any of it. She was deaf to everything around her and the only thing she could focus on was the pile of ashes that used to be her home. The pile of ashes that was once a large shack that stood proudly.

Though the she-cat was unsure of what to do or where to go, she knew she could not stare at the ashes in front of her the whole night. Hesitantly, she turned and padded off, slowly at first, but then began to run, desperately wanting to escape the terrifying nightmare.

Tess slowed to a halt after running for what seemed like forever. Her soft pads had become sore, so she had decided to settle down and rest for a bit. Eyeing her surroundings warily, the she-cat began to wash herself, trying not to think about the misfortune of earlier in the night.

On her way into the forest, Tess had passed a few twolegs nests and had wondered if her choice to leave her own twolegs was the right one. This question made its way to the front of her mind and she sat there, pondering it for a few moments, but immediately set the subject aside at the snapping of a twig.

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OK, so I hope you liked it, and that none of you wish to throw rotten food at me. I'd like it if you reviewed either way though, and if you see some things later on in the story that kind of don't match the first book, blame it on my stupidity for giving my only copy of Into the Wild to one of my friends for the summer since he's going to New York and asked if he could have it for the trip. XX Ok, I'm gonna shut up now since no one is probably even reading this right now. Please Review! Oh and sorry if it's too short for your liking.

Peace out!


	2. The new apprentice

Okay, I know what you're going to say. '_Alesha you are such a liar. You said you had another chapter you'd put up in no time._' Well I'm sorry, but after reading my first three reviews, I felt that I had to rewrite the second chapter, since I don't want to disappoint you guys. So I'm really, really sorry if you guys loved the first chapter and hate the second. Oh, and for my reviewers, I'll have responses to your reviews at the end of the chapter. Enjoy…

Oh, and I don't own Warriors.

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The sound of the snap that had come from behind didn't sound as if a simple-brained creature had stepped on it. No, it sounded much larger, at least about Tess's own size. Warily, Tess turned her head around to look and instantly felt a hard blow to her shoulder. She was knocked to the ground on her back and a dark form had her pinned. It certainly looked like a cat, but the features weren't very clear. Tess struggled under her opponent's weight and freed an arm. She unsheathed her claws and swiped her paw at the cat upon her and could barely make out a trail of blood oozing from just below an amber eye. The cat seemed as if they were about to retaliate, but stopped immediately at the sound of a voice. 

"Graypaw, what have you found here?" The cat backed off and Tess scrambled to her paws, her sleek black fur still bristling. She looked at her attacker and at the other creature who had spoken. Both were very wild looked cats, lean and large. Her attacker, she knew him by the scratch under the eye, had long gray hair and looked about her age of six moons. The other was a golden feline with proud muscles showing under his coat. Both were toms, and both looked as if they could do real damage to a cat if they wanted. Tess gulped silently.

"It's a she-cat. I think she's from ShadowClan." He spat out the name ShadowClan like piece of rotten mouse. Tess gave him a confused sideways glance, unsure of what ShadowClan was. The golden tom looked at her expectantly.

"I...I'm not from ShadowClan…" She managed to force the words out, though deep down she wanted to run back home and hide.

"Then you must be a kittypet." The gray cat had spoken and Tess wasn't sure what to say. She glanced back and forth between the two cats before shaking her head. The golden cat looked at her with care.

"Well, then. You don't smell like a clan cat, and you claim that you aren't from twoleg place, so you must be a loner." Tess simply nodded slowly.

"Then what are you doing here? Loners never come into the forest." The gray tom looked at her now with only curiosity gleaming in his eyes. She looked at the golden cat to her left, but he only looked at her, obviously waiting for the answer as well.

"Twolegs burnt my home down…I…I wasn't really sure what to do so I ran and ended up here…" Her voice trailed off into uncertainty, and she stared at her paws silently.

Silence engulfed the three cats, but it wasn't long before the large golden tom spoke.

"Come with us. Our leader will deal with you." Tess looked at him with large blue eyes, wondering if it would be better to try and run. Looking at their muscles once more, she decided that there was no way she could out run them, no matter how hard she tried.

The golden feline stood and started off and the gray tom came up behind Tess, obviously not trusting the she-cat to follow without trouble. She gave the smaller gray tom one last look and did as she had been told, following in line after the golden tabby.

Several thoughts formed in the young she-cat's mind all at once. Where was this cat leading her? Who was the leader they were talking about? Were these cats going to hurt her? Chase her away and make sure that she never comes back? Or worse, were they going to kill her? She shook her head to clear her mind of such horrid thoughts. These cats didn't look as if they would do such things.

Even though Tess really wanted to believe what she had just told herself, she couldn't. More horrible thoughts formed, causing her mind to drift, and it wasn't before long that the golden tom stopped. Tess crashed into his flank, hard, and looked at him with frightful, apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry! I should have been paying attention." The golden feline just shook it off and announced their arrival.

"We're here." He said it as if he expected Tess to know exactly what here was. He led the way through a large gorse tunnel, with Tess tentatively following close behind. As they exited the tunnel, Tess was greeted by a large clearing filled with several cats like the ones that had found her. The golden cat flicked his tail in front of Tess to gain her attention once more.

"Follow me. I'm taking you to Bluestar." Tess looked at him, trying to find out if that was a good or a bad thing. He did nothing to assure her that she would be fine and instead headed off for a rather large den with lichen curtains hanging down before the entrance. As the three made their way to the supposed den of Bluestar, several cats, young and old, stopped their daily business to look at them, some with more hostile glances than others.

Tess felt herself growing hot underneath her pelt. She heard a few murmurs coming from the other cats as well.

"Looks like a kittypet."

"Not another one."

"I think Bluestar's lost it. The only cats that should be in ThunderClan are the one's who were born here."

"Oh, ease up. We don't know anything for sure. It could be a prisoner from another clan or something…"

Once more, the golden tabby stopped, but Tess was ready for him. She was not going to give these cats any more reason to talk about her behind her back. The golden tabby yowled softly at the entrance, and only a heartbeat later was the yowl returned. The tabby nodded his head and entered the den, closely followed by a frightened Tess and the interested gray tom.

Towards the back of the den lay a mossy nest, with a beautiful and important looking gray she-cat curled up comfortably. She sat straight up, eyeing the three cats closely, especially Tess.

"Lionheart, I suspect you have a good reason for bringing this cat here." Tess couldn't help but think the name Lionheart was a bit odd. The golden feline next to her nodded his head.

"Yes Bluestar. My apprentice, Graypaw, found this cat over by the Great Sycamore, near the thunderpath." This led to the gray she-cat locking eyes with Tess.

"Are you of ShadowClan, young one?" She said it with authority, but there was a hint of kindness in her voice.

"I…I don't know what Shadowclan is…" She replied softly.

"Then are you a kittypet?" The gray feline directly across from her gave her an encouraging look.

"I was, but then I became a loner…" She said it a little louder, feeling more comfortable around the older feline.

"If you're a loner, why did my cats catch you on ThunderClan territory?" At these words, Tess looked down at her paws, sort of embarrassed that she had even been caught in the first place.

"My home was burnt down by a group of twolegs…I was afraid, so I ran and when I stopped to rest I got caught…" Bluestar nodded slowly, taking things in.

"So you have no home of your own then?" She questioned. It was hard for the young black she-cat to talk now, and so she only nodded.

"Very well then." She looked at the golden cat named Lionheart.

"Lionheart, how well did she travel here from the Great Sycamore?" Lionheart locked eyes with his leader.

"Very well, Bluestar. For her first time being in the area that is." Bluestar nodded.

"Young one, what is your name that you went by with your twolegs."

"It's Tess."

"Well, Tess. Since you have no home, and we can always do with more warriors, and you don't look more than six moons, would you like to bea ThunderClan apprentice?"Tess's head shot up instantly, surprised by her offer. All three cats looked at her, and Tess couldn't help but nod her head in reply. The gray leader looked at her with an unwavering gaze.

"Very well then. We'll have your naming ceremony now. Follow me." Bluestar led her way through the lichen, closely followed by Lionheart, Tess, and the gray tom. The leader jumped upon a large rock, which was not surprisingly located in the middle of the camp.

"Will all clan cats old enough to catch their own food gather beneath the highrock." The call was nearly unnecessary, seeing as most of the cats had gathered to get a better look at Tess.

"Earlier, my deputy and his apprentice were scouting around ShadowClan territory. They found a young she-cat by the Great Sycamore." Tess shifted uncomfortably under the hard glares from the other clan cats.

"She is a loner who has unfortunately suffered the loss of her home, thanks to the twolegs. I have offered her a place as a ThunderClan apprentice." Several yowls of disagreement filled the air.

"Silence." The yowls of disapproval quieted under Bluestar's hard gaze.

"I know most of you are unhappy with some of my decisions recently, but she has already accepted and I am not going to take back my proposal. Tess, will you please step forward." The black she-cat did as she was told and looked at Bluestar with great uncertainty, once more growing hot under the large group of eyes watching her.

"From this day forward, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Stormpaw. Willowpelt, you are a valuable warrior to this clan and have been trained well by your former mentor Mousefur. I expect you to pass on everything you know to this new apprentice so that she too will be a great addition to our clan." A very pale gray she-cat with blue eyes very similar to Stormpaw's own, stepped forward and nodded. She approached Stormpaw with a look of pride in her eyes and bent forward to touch noses with her first apprentice.

Stormpaw, unaware of the usual apprentice/mentor tradition that happened at this point in time, stared at her new mentor for a second, before catching on. She touched Willowpelt's nose gently, almost afraid, and stepped back. The gray warrior returned to her spot in the crowd, flicking her tail for Stormpaw to follow, which she did.

An uncomfortable silence followed before a few cats around the new apprentice and mentor murmured their congratulations. Soon, most every cat had said a few kind words, and the group began to clear out. The only ones remaining were Willowpelt, Stormpaw, and the gray tom from earlier. The tom stepped forward and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Congratulations Stormpaw. I'm Graypaw by the way."

"Thanks Graypaw. Oh, and I'm sorry about that scratch…" He laughed it off slightly.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, why don't I show you around camp?" He asked, a slight shimmer of hope in his amber eyes.

"Sure." She replied. Graypaw nodded and led the way.

"First of all, that rock where we were just at his called the high rock. It's where we have all of our meetings. And over there is Bluestar's den, but you probably already knew that." Stormpaw nodded, showing that she was listening.

"That's the elder's den. You should stop by some time. They have a lot of great stories for anyone who'll listen. And that's the medicine cat's den. If you ever get hurt, go there and Spottedleaf will fix you right up. And right there is the warrior's den and right next to it is the nursery. That's where all the she-cats stay if they're nursing kits or expecting them." Stormpaw nodded.

"That's the fresh-kill pile for whenever we get hungry, and finally, that's the apprentice's den, where we sleep." He led the way over to the fairly large den and stepped in. Stormpaw followed, studying her surroundings. Inside, were several moss beds as well as a few cats. All of them except Graypaw were staring at her. A slightly larger orange pelted tom stood.

"Hey, I'm Firepaw. Nice to meet you Stormpaw." Stormpaw nodded in reply and looked at the other two, both of which did not look too happy to see her. One was a very pale ginger she-cat and the other was a tom, his pelt a very dark brown. Firepaw looked at them and back at Stormpaw.

"The ginger she-cat is Sandpaw, and the tom is Dustpelt. They don't take to kindly to others, especially non-clan borns. " Sandpaw stood and stretched.

"Looks like Bluestar's desperate. Wouldn't you say so Dustpelt?" The dark brown tabby nodded.

"Yep, first she brings in kittypet over there an then a kittypet gone loner. What's next, a rogue?" The two cats smirked and walked out of the den. Stormpaw watched them leave, eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry about them. They're just in a permanent bad mood." Firepaw meowed, letting his flame colored pelt touch her sleek black one in a comforting way. Stormpaw purred in amusement, and also in sheer happiness. Though it was true, most of the cats here weren't really that welcoming, she still had met a few nice cats.

A few more words were exchanged before all three cats decided they should get some rest. As Stormpaw lay in her new moss bed, she couldn't help but think about how she was going to prove the rest of the clan wrong. She was going to be the best clan cat out there, no matter how long it took or how hard she had to work. She could already tell that her new life as a clan cat was going to be very interesting.

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Yeah, yeah, I know. It's probably not as good as the first chapter. Anyways, I know this was a lot longer than the other chapter, so I hope most of you didn't like, space out right in the middle. Anyways, as I said, here is my little **Reviewer's Corner:**

**Bunctious: **Yeah, it's about a cat. If you haven't read the Warriors series, you should really check it out. The first book is called Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.

**newsiefreak9er9er**: I'm really glad you love it. Yeah, I know it was a really sad way to lose her home, but I had to have Tess get into the forest somehow, right? I hope you enjoyed his chapter just as much, and if you don't, I'm sorry.

**Cabbeh:** I'm glad you think it's good so far. You really think it matches their writing style well? That's a huge compliment in my book, so thanks a lot. I'm glad you like Tess, and once more, I hope I didn't disappoint you or anyone else with the quality of this chapter. 

Okay guys, that's it. Keep looking for more updates and please review. It made me so happy to open my e-mail to find good reviews. I always expect the worse when it comes to story reviews, but you guys are so nice. Well, that's all for now. I need to think up some more ideas, so if you guys have any suggestions, please speak your mind. D

Peace out!


	3. Hunting with Sandpaw

I am so, so, so, so, so, (insert a million more so's here) sorry for making you wait so long for the update. There's just been so much crazy stuff been going on. I feel so bad, but hey, I updated. Heheheh… Okay, I know. Like I said, I'm sorry. It's just with everything from school starting, tons of homework, major friend problems and my grandmother getting cancer, I haven't had time to write. Also, I know I always say this, but I really don't think I did very well on this chapter. Sorry if you're disappointed.

I do not own the Warriors series. That belongs to Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry.

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"I jumped onto his back and clawed angrily at his sides. He hissed and tried to shake me off vigorously, but I held fast. I wasn't about to let a ShadowClan cat win on ThunderClan territory. Finally I let him go, but he swung around and pinned me down, his claws digging deep into my shoulders. I scratched furiously at his belly and managed to get him to release me. I sprang up and without hesitation, I pinned him. I clawed him down the side and sent him yowling into the bushes."

"What happened then Halftail?" A young she-kit interrupted the elder's story in her eagerness to hear the rest of the old tom's battle story. Halftail let out a patient mrrow of laughter and brought the tabby kit closer with his tail.

"Then I went head to head with Raggedstar, the leader of ShadowClan right before Brokenstar." The rest of the kits stared at the elder wth huge eyes, thirstily drinking in his slightly exaggerated story. Stormpaw couldn't help but let out a small sigh. She of all cats knew how long old Halftail's stories could be and once again she herself had been sucked in. She had just been doing her apprentice duties, dropping off a plump rabbit for the elders to share when Halftail insisted she stay and listen to the rest of the story. She had tried to politely decline, but Halftail had some how managed to persuade her to stay.

Now she was wishing she had tried at least a little bit harder to get out of it. It had been a very long day so far, with both hunting practice and a mock battle with her mentor in the training hollow. All she had real wanted to do was to please the elders and her mentor, get something from the fresh-kill pile and then curl up in her nest for a long night's rest. Obviously Halftail had other plans for her.

"Hey Stormpaw, could I have a word with you?" Once more Halftail's story had been interrupted, causing several of the kits to look at her with wide eyes. Trying to ignore the warmth of embarrassment that was spreading beneath her coat, Stormpaw stood and stretched. With polite nods of farewell to all of the elders, the black apprentice turned and mad her way out of the den. As the young she-cat approached her waiting mentor, Stormpaw couldn't help but wonder if she had done something wrong.

"Yes Willowpelt?" Stormpaw settled her nerves, and sat down in front of her mentor with a respective nod.

"I was hoping that you could go out hunting tomorrow with another apprentice. Bluestar's been wondering about your hunting progress."

"Okay Willowpelt. I could take Graypaw or Firepaw." As she said this she noted the uncertainty in her mentor's blue eyes and she cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Well, Graypaw and Firepaw are fine hunters, but I was actually planning for you to take Sandpaw. Whitestorm suggested that she go with you since she's the best hunter out of all of the apprentices." At her mentor's words, Stormpaw felt an icy claw clench her stomach tight. Stormpaw was definitely not Sandpaw's favorite cat in the clan, and she wasn't sure exactly how the ginger apprentice would react to the news.

"Oh... Sure Willowpelt." The gray warrior nodded and gave a dismissal flick of her tail.

"Go ahead and get something to eat and some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow. I know you'll bring in the best catch of the day." Stormpaw nodded, purring at her mentors praise and headed for the fresh-kill pile. She picked out a small vole, suddenly not feeling very hungry and made her way towards the apprentice's den where Graypaw and Firepaw were already eating.

"Hey Stormpaw." The flame colored apprentice meowed a cheery greeting and returned to his mouse.

"What took you so long? We were going to wait for you, but you never showed up." Graypaw's amber eyes were deep with curiosity as he spoke.

"When I was taking that rabbit to the elders, Halftail stopped me and insisted that I stay for a story. Willowpelt called for me about halfway through and talked about my hunting progress. I'm supposed to go out hunting tomorrow." The black apprentice replied. She began to slowly pick at her vole half heartedly.

"I could go with you. Lionheart's been focusing more on my battle moves lately. I could do with a nice hunt." Graypaw offered hopefully, and Stormpaw couldn't help but notice Firepaw twitching his whiskers in amusement. Before she could respond, a contempt snort interrupted her. The three friends turned to see Dustpaw and Sandpaw only a few tail-lengths behind them.

"I feel sorry for you Sandpaw. Having to spend all day tomorrow hunting with that loner." Dustpaw sneered, flicking his tail at Stormpaw as if she didn't deserve to be addressed to properly. Graypaw shot her an inquiring glance, as did Firepaw.

"Don't remind me. I'd get out of it if I could, but Whitestorm says that she may need some extra help from a more experienced apprentice." Then she turned to Stormpaw and added, "Does Stormpaw need me to go with her and stay by her side because she's afraid of the big, bad mice?" She and Dustpaw shared a mrrow of laughter while Stormpaw narrowed her eyes angrily.

"I'm not happy with the arrangement either, but we obviously can't get out of it, so we might as well get it over with as soon as possible." For a moment, Stormpaw's crystal blue gaze locked onto Sandpaw's own bright green, but the ginger apprentice looked away first and with a quick sniff of disdain, Sandpaw stalked off, closely followed by her brother.

As soon as the two were out of ear-shot, Graypaw spoke, his voice filled with disbelief.

"You're going hunting with _her_ tomorrow?" Stormpaw let out a small sigh and nodded.

"Willowpelt wants to make sure that I'm turning into a good hunter and she thinks Sandpaw can help me do that and even though she doesn't say so, I know that she's worried that most of the clan still distrust me." At this, Firepaw spoke up.

"They still dislike me too. You've just got to give it time. Things will work out, you'll see." Stormpaw nodded, but didn't say anything for the rest of the night.

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"You'll never catch a mouse that way." Sandpaw's voice interrupted Stormpaw's careful stalking technique. The black apprentice had made sure that she stepped as lightly as she could, but when the mouse, only a tail-length away, scurried off, Stormpaw felt rage burn in her belly.

"I would have had it if you'd have kept your mouth shut." The ginger she-cat seemed rather taken aback for a single moment at the anger in Stormpaw's voice, but it quickly disappeared. Stormpaw noticed this, and was surprised that the she-cat hadn't expected her to grow angry. After all, Sandpaw had already scared off quite a few pieces of prey, trying to frustrate the black apprentice and make her look bad.

Sandpaw didn't say anything, and the two walked on, ears pricked for the noise of any prey. It wasn't before long that Stormpaw had another mouse pinpointed just behind a nearby bush. Dropping into a low crouch, Stormpaw carefully maneuvered her way towards the bush. With a quick glance at Sandpaw, who was standing off to the side, Stormpaw leaped into the bush, onto the mouse and quickly finished it off. She picked the warm body up and stepped out from behind the bush. She quickly buried the mouse under a few leaves, and the two apprentices set off again.

By sunset, both she-cats had caught a good amount of prey, and Stormpaw was glad to see that Sandpaw was at least learning to tolerate her.

"Let's do a quick run by Sunningrocks before we head back to camp. We might be able to get another good catch there." Sandpaw suggested, and at a nod of agreement from her black companion, the ginger she-cat took off at a fast pace, Stormpaw at her side, easily matching her pace.

Without warning, Stormpaw stopped, tasting the air. Another clan scent hit the roof of her mouth, and Stormpaw realized just how close they were to the RiverClan border. Even if they were on their own side of the border, the other cats of RiverClan still might want a fight and two apprentices probably didn't stand much of a chance if it was a patrol passing by. Careful to keep her voice low, Stormpaw called out to her companion.

"Sandpaw, I smell RiverClan." The ginger she-cat looked back at her, tasted the air, and returned to Stormpaw's side.

"We should hide. They might want to fight, and Bluestar, Whitestorm, and Willowpelt wouldn't be too happy if we got into a fight with them by ourselves." Without another word, Stormpaw clawed her way up a towering tree and peered down on the approaching cats while Sandpaw took cover in the undergrowth. Stormpaw felt her breath catch in her throat, seeing as the branch she was on hung right over the boundary, and she was sort of in RiverClan territory with a small group of cats now in sight.

"I smell ThunderClan." The cat that spoke was a smoky black tom, and he looked like he'd be quite a match for any cat. A silver she-cat next to him spoke next.

"They seem like they're on their own side of the border. Nothing really to worry about, but we should tell the next patrol to take a look over here. The first tom nodded, and the patrol went on their way, unaware that a ThunderClan apprentice was hanging right over their heads. As soon as Stormpaw saw that it was safe, she dropped back down to the ground in her own territory. Sandpaw poked her head out of her hiding place and looked at Stormpaw with wide eyes.

"You were right over their heads! You're lucky they didn't see you." The ginger apprentice's tone was not taunting, but rather somewhat amazed and amused. Stormpaw gave a small nod, still a little frightened at how close she was to being caught by enemy cats. Sandpaw touched her tail tip to Stormpaw's shoulder, but pulled it back quickly, possibly a bit surprised at her action.

"Let's get back to camp. I think we've been out long enough, and we got enough prey for today." Without waiting for Stormpaw to reply, Sandpaw raced off in the direction of the camp, leaving Stormpaw to catch up by herself.

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Yeah, I think Sandpaw is a little OOC, but yeah. I'm sorry if you thought this was going to be good or whatever and then it was just a huge disappointment, and you can throw rotten fruits and veggies at your monitor, though you'll have to clean it up. Also, don't be surprised if it takes forever for another update because I'm lacking a little on inspiration here. Ideas are always welcome, as are reviews. 


	4. The Gathering

"There could have at least been a lost kittypet." Graypaw mumbled to himself.

"You should be thankful there wasn't any trouble on your patrol Graypaw." Stormpaw scolded, cuffing her friend's ear with a delicate black paw. The gray apprentice playfully hissed in return and pushed himself into her shoulder. Stormpaw swung around and bowled the larger cat over, pinning him to the ground by his neck with only a paw.

"Okay, okay, you're the fiercest she-cat in the forest, now let me up." The black apprentice pulled her paw away and allowed her friend to get back on his feet. Just at that moment, the pale ginger Sandpaw trotted forward.

"You want to go hunting Stormpaw?" Graypaw pricked his ears in surprise and looked from one she-cat to the other. Stormpaw laughed to herself. Though she had told both him and Firepaw about her hunting trip with Sandpaw, only a few days ago now, they were both surprised that Sandpaw was no longer as hostile towards the younger she-cat. Even if their relationship was far from being a strong friendship, it was starting to head in that direction somewhat.

Stormpaw was about to accept her fellow den mate's offer, but her mentor interrupted her.

"I'm sorry Sandpaw, but I'm going to take Stormpaw out to see how her fighting skills are building up." The ginger apprentice nodded respectfully towards the gray warrior, and ran off to find her own mentor. Both Willowpelt and Stormpaw nodded good-bye to Graypaw and headed for the gorse tunnel.

The pair reached the training hollow quickly and almost instantly, Willowpelt swung around and attacked her apprentice skillfully. The black apprentice struggled under her surprisingly powerful claws. Before Stormpaw could waste more energy trying to escape her mentor's hold, the pretty gray she-cat stepped back and allowed the smaller cat to get to her paws.

"You must always be ready for a surprise attack. You never know when you could be on patrol and be ambushed." Stormpaw nodded.

"Now, I want you to attack me, and make sure to…" The warrior's words were cut off instantly as claws sunk deep into her shoulders. The extra weight caught her off balance, and she fell onto her side. Teeth met the scruff of her neck sharply, and the gray she-cat retaliated with a swipe of her claws which met her opponent's flank.

The struggle continued for several more moments before Willowpelt called a stop. Stormpaw instantly let go of the hold she held on her mentor and stepped back, panting slightly from their tussle.

"Very good Stormpaw. You definitely taught me to keep my own words in mind. I didn't expect that. You're a fast learner." The black apprentice lifted her tail happily at her mentor's praise. The pair spent the rest of their time going over the best strategies for different types of opponents. Finally, Willowpelt stopped their lesson.

"Come on, its almost mealtime. We should head back the camp. Besides, we've got the gathering tonight, and I still don't know who's going." At her mentor's last statement, Stormpaw seemed a bit more attentive. This would have been the second gathering that had happened since she had come into the camp. She herself had not been allowed to go to the one before, but both Dustpelt and Sandpaw had gone, and she hoped that maybe she could possibly go to this one. The two cats started at a fair pace, neither really wanting to race the other like they usually would after a training session.

"Bluestar, in case you have forgotten, there is a gathering tonight." The leader's large golden deputy spoke.

"Of course I remember Lionheart. I've told most of the cats I am taking, with a few exceptions." Bluestar replied. Lionheart cocked his head to one side, curious. The beautiful blue-gray she-cat in front of him made a gesture towards the apprentice's den, and the lion-like tom saw the newest apprentice Stormpaw sitting outside, occasionally cleaning her face.

"Firepaw, Graypaw, and Stormpaw are also coming tonight." She explained.

"Would you like me to tell them Bluestar?" Bluestar looked thoughtful and nodded.

"Yes Lionheart." It was a polite dismissal, and Lionheart knew that. He dipped his head respectfully and padded over towards the black apprentice.

Stormpaw saw him as he was only a few rabbit-lengths away. She paused hopefully as the deputy approached and began speaking.

"So Stormpaw, I hear from Willowpelt that you are turning into a fine ThunderClan cat." Stormpaw's whiskers trembled in embarrassment. If Willowpelt was talking about her to the clan deputy, who else knew about her fighting and hunting skills?

"Well, you'll be glad to know that tonight, you'll be able to attend your first gathering, along with Graypaw and Firepaw. I'd appreciate it if you would tell your friends that they are also to attend tonight."

"Yes, of course Lionheart." The golden tom nodded happily.

"Good." He turned to leave, but swung his massive head to look at her over his shoulder.

"Oh, and I recommend that you eat fairly soon. It won't be too long before we leave."

"Yes Lionheart." Stormpaw was barely containing her happiness, and was greatly relieved once Lionheart left her to her washing. She quickly poked her head inside the apprentice's den, checking to see if Firepaw or Graypaw were there, but her search had no luck.

_Graypaw must still be out hunting…_ The pretty she-cat thought about her long-haired friend, and shook her head to clear her mind of those golden eyes.

"You'd think you'd be able to do a decent job at killing fleas!" An indignant screech filled the air, and Stormpaw looked over to where Thunderclan's newest prisoner was held. Only a few days ago, Firepaw had been out hunting when he'd found ShadowClan's former medicine cat, Yellowfang, on ThunderClan territory. The old she-cat had been injured, and would have starved to death if her flame pelted friend had not found her in time. He'd fed the old she-cat, but had then broken the warrior code and eaten her remained scraps. As his punishment, he was ordered to look after the ungrateful she-cat. Stormpaw did not approve of the fact that Firepaw had broken the code they would be expected to protect as warriors, but she also didn't think it was right to make the poor tom look after the former medicine cat. Yellowfang could definitely hold her own, using both her claws and her sharp tongue, and Stormpaw knew that Yellowfang would not be an easy cat to look after.

"Get out of here. I can handle myself better." The gray cat snapped at the young apprentice, and Firepaw dipped his head and ran towards Stormpaw.

"I hate dealing with her." He exclaimed. Though he seemed quite serious, Stormpaw knew that deep down inside, Firepaw was very fond of the older cat.

"Well, I've got some news to get your mind off of her." At this, Firepaw brightened.

"What is it?"

"I want to wait until Graypaw gets here." Stormpaw replied.

"Well, you won't need to wait long." Stormpaw spun around and came face to face with Graypaw. Something in her stomach stirred, but the black apprentice ignored it.

"Finally. Maybe now I can share my news." She teased. Graypaw swiped at her ear, but the black she-cat dodged his massive paw. She settled down, and found that both toms were watching her intently, obviously sensing her excitement about her news.

"Well, tonight, the three of us will be heading to our first gathering." Before Stormpaw even shut her mouth, both her friends had jumped up and yowled their joy to StarClan. Stormpaw couldn't help but laugh at their silliness. Once they were finally calm, Stormpaw spoke again.

"Lionheart said that we should eat something soon. It shouldn't be too long before Bluestar calls us all to go." Firepaw nodded, but Graypaw had already dashed to the fresh-kill pile. Sharing a quick glance, the two other apprentices followed.

"Look at all those cats!" Stormpaw's crystal blue eyes widened at the size of the group of cats that she and her friends were about to join.

"Remember, we must not waste any time. Get to know your enemies well. It will come in handy in the future. And don't give out any information about how our clan is." Though Bluestar was speaking to all the ThunderClan cats, Stormpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw knew that this warning was really just for them. They nodded to themselves, and followed as the group rushed down the slope into the clearing.

Several different scents gathered in Stormpaw's nose, causing her to become a bit lost. She hadn't even been in this crowd for more than a few heartbeats, and she had already lost her two companions. Every cat seemed to have their own group, as if they never fought each other and were the best of friends. Anxiety welled up inside her chest as she looked around and found herself to be the only one out of place.

"I've got to find Willowpelt." She muttered, maneuvering her way through the crowd. Just as she found her mentor amongst a small group of RiverClan queens, Stormpaw felt herself crash into something, and hit the ground hard.

"Sorry…" she muttered, the heat growing under her fur in embarrassment.

"It's ok, really. I should have been watching where I was going. It's just, this is my first gathering and I'm a little lost." Stormpaw looked up into large green eyes and stepped back to see a cream colored cat.

"Really? It's my first gathering too." Stormpaw noticed that this strange was a she-cat, and could have been no more than an apprentice of eight moons or so, just like herself.

"Wow, you're the first new-to-a-gathering cat I've met tonight. I'm Moonpaw from ShadowClan by the way." Stormpaw felt her fur bristle ever so slightly. She had heard that all ShadowClan cats were mean and horrible, always doing cruel things to other clans. But this she-cat didn't seem like that. She actually seemed like someone Stormpaw could see herself become friends with.

"It's nice to meet you Moonpaw. I'm Stormpaw, from ThunderClan." For a while, both apprentices were occupied talking with each other, enjoying one another's company. Eventually, the three leaders upon the highrock gave the signal for everyone to quiet down, though several cats from the crowd called out.

"Why are you starting without WindClan?" Brokenstar flicked his tail for silence, and eventually the clearing calmed them selves. Moonpaw and Stormpaw glanced at each other before looking up at the dark brown leader.

"As ShadowClan's leader, I have right to address you." His voice was filled with anger. Without waiting for anyone to object, Brokenstar spoke again.

"We all know that leaf-bare has left us in a very hard time. We hardly have prey left on our hunting grounds. But, we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan have all lost kits to this freezing time. ShadowClan did not have to deal with the tragedy of dying kits. Our territory hardens us against the cold weather of the north. From the first moment they are born, our kits are stronger than those of the other clans. Because of this, ShadowClan finds itself with many mouths that need to be fed with too little prey to feed them. The needs of my clan are simple. We must increase our hunting grounds if we are to survive. That is why I demand that you all allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories."


	5. Aftermath of the Gathering

Hahaha! I actually updated two days in a row. I knew it wouldn't be long for chapter 5. P It would have been awesome though if I had finished this just a few hours earlier so tahat it would have been 2 updates in one day, but whatever. I'm content with this. Also, I don't think it will be a long wait for chapter 6 either. I'm really getting into this. D Oh also, you'll notice that in the last chapter, this chapter, and probably a few upcoming chapter that most of the speaking parts are from book #1, just changed a tiny bit. So yeah, judt don't be surprised. Oh also, if this is crap, blame it on the fact that I must have temporary insomnia, and decided to finish this at four in the morning. XD

Oh, and I forgot to put this in my last chapter so here ya go:

Everything that yourememberbelongs to the lovely ladies who came together as Erin Hunter to write this wonderful series. The only things that I own are Stormpaw, and Moonpaw.

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Angry cries filled the air at Brokenstar's last statement. Stormpaw felt the fur rise on the back of her neck. It was against the warrior code for Clans to hunt on one another's territories; certainly a leader could not expect three other clans to go against the word of StarClan. Stormpaw snuck a glance over at Moonpaw, almost afraid to see what her new found friend thought of her own leader's proposal.

The creamy apprentice did look appalled at how her own leader could just throw the warrior code aside just like that, but the young she-cat's agreement was also showing. For the first time, Stormpaw actually noticed just how thin her friend was. The black she-cat felt very uncomfortable now, especially when her ShadowClan friend turned to look her in the eyes. Stormpaw didn't know what to do, and instead, tore her blue eyes away from Moonpaw's emerald ones.

Stormpaw thought she heard the angry yowl of Tigerclaw, but his words did not reach her ears.

"It is unprecedented!" A RiverClan queen yowled. "The Clans have never shared hunting grounds!"

"Should ShadowClan be punished because we thrive? Should we be punished because we are not as weak as others to the cruel weather of leaf-bare? Unless you want us to watch our young and old starve, you must share what you have with us!" Brokenstar hissed from upon the Great Rock.

"Must!" Smallear spat indignantly.

"Must," repeated Brokenstar. "WindClan failed to understand my point. In the end, ShadowClan was forced to drive them out of their moorland." Stormpaw's eyes widened in shock, and her head swiveled to face a very embarrassed Moonpaw. The cream colored she-cat could not bring herself to look at the ThunderClan apprentice, knowing that what her clan had done was wrong. Stormpaw almost didn't hear Brokenstar's next words.

"And if we must, ShadowClan will drive the rest of you from your homes as well. Anything to feed our hungry kits." As silence filled the air, Brokenstar continued. "Twolegs spoil more and more of our territory with each coming year. If all clans are to survive at least one must stay strong. While you all struggle, we thrive, and one day, you might need to call on us to protect you."

"You doubt the strength of our clans?" Tigerclaw hissed. Ignoring the warrior's challenge, Brokenstar turned and spoke to the leaders.

"I do not expect an answer now. You must each leave and consider my words. But keep this in mind: Would you prefer to share your prey, or be driven out by ShadowClan, with no where else to go?" All of the ThunderClan and RiverClan cats turned to look at one another, astonished at what Brokenstar had actually asked of their leaders. Crookedstar stepped towards the tip of the Great Rock, and somehow, Stormpaw knew what he would say.

"I have already agreed for ShadowClan warriors to hunt on part of our territory." His voice was quiet as he gazed down upon his clan.

Stormpaw looked at the few RiverClan cats near her, and saw horror and humiliation written all over their faces. How could their leader have possibly given up so easily?

"And what of ThunderClan?" Smallear asked. "Have you too agreed to such an outrageous demand Bluestar?"

"The only agreement that I have shared with Brokenstar is that I will think about his offer after the gathering." Without giving the ThunderClan leader time to say anything else, Brokenstar spoke again.

"I also bring important news concerning the safety of your kits. A ShadowClan cat has turned rogue, rejecting the warrior code. She has been chased out of our camp, but we have no knowledge as to where she is now. She looks like a mangy old creature, but her bite is like that belonging to TigerClan."

Stormpaw sat up straight and tried to find the flame colored head of Firepaw amongst the large crowd of forest cats. Could Brokenstar possibly be thinking of Yellowfang?

"She is a dangerous cat. I warn you not to offer her shelter. And until she is caught and killed, I urge you to keep a close eye on your kits." From the sound of things, it seemed as if the other ThunderClan cats had thought about Yellowfang as well. The old cat had done nothing to come upon her reluctant hosts' good side, and she figured anything could set off hatred towards her, even if it was from the mouth of Brokenstar.

As the ShadowClan leader leaped down from the rock, ShadowClan cats pushed their way towards their leader, Moonpaw among them. The young apprentice turned to look back at Stormpaw, as if asking the black apprentice not to judge her on the actions that her clan had to undergo due to their leader's commands. Stormpaw gave a small nod, as if to agree that she wouldn't, and before Moonpaw turned to leave, her eyes brightened gratefully.

"Well, what do you think of that?" Graypaw asked in a low voice, startling Stormpaw. The she-cat merely shrugged, not really knowing what she should do next. Not long after, Firepaw bounded over to them, and all three cats heard a conversation going on between a few ThunderClan cats.

"It must be Yellowfang he's talking about." Smallear growled.

"Well, she did snap at Goldenflower's kit just the other day." Speckletail replied darkly. She was the oldest nursery queen, and being so, she was very protective of all the clan's kits.

"And we've left her behind with the camp virtually unguarded!" One-eye wailed, for once having no trouble hearing anything. Darkstripe looked at all three and hissed,

"I told you she was a menace. Bluestar must listen to reason and get rid of the old fleabag before she harms any of our young!"

There was more to the conversation, but neither of the trio listened to anymore.

"Cover for me if someone notices that I'm missing." Firepaw whispered, and with that, he took off of for camp.

"Where's he going?" Graypaw asked. Stormpaw cuffed his ear.

"He's going to warn Yellowfang mouse-brain!" She hissed. Graypaw flicked his ear in embarrassment, and Stormpaw touched her flank to his.

"Come on, they've already left without us!"

Bluestar was the first cat to enter through the gorse tunnel, quickly followed by Lionheart. Frostfur and Willowpelt were right behind them, and Frostfur raced for the nursery. Both Darkstripe and Tigerclaw strolled in, looking grim. Graypaw and Stormpaw were the last to enter, and Firepaw immediately ran over to join them.

"She won't leave. Did anyone miss me?"

"Only us." Stormpaw answered. Firepaw nodded. Several of the ThunderClan cats had woken up, including Runningwind, a tabby warrior.

"What's happened?" He called.

"Brokenstar has demanded hunting rights on our territory!" Longtail spat, his words loud enough for all to hear.

"And he warned us of a rogue cat who will harm our kits! It must be Yellowfang!" Cried Willowpelt. Stormpaw's whiskers twitched at her mentor's words, though neither of her friends said anything.

Yowls of anger and distress rose into the air.

"Silence!" Bluestar ordered from upon the Highrock. Automatically, cats settled in front of her.

A loud screech of outrage turned every cat's attention to Yellowfang's nest. The older she-cat had been dragged roughly from her nest by Tigerclaw and Darkstripe. Stormpaw felt Firepaw tense beside her as they dumped Yellowfang in front of Bluestar.

"What is going on? No order was given to attack our prisoner." Bluestar's voice was demanding. At this, both toms backed away from their burden.

"We got back just in time. The kits are safe!" Frostfur, who had just returned from the nursery, gasped.

"Of course they're safe!" Bluestar snapped, causing the pretty white she-cat to shrink back slightly.

"But…but you are going to throw her out…Aren't you?" Her blue eyes were wide as she spoke.

"Throwing her out would be a waste of time. We should just kill her now!" Darkstripe spat, his claws already extended. Bluestar fixed her cool blue gaze upon him.

"And what has she done?" Her voice was icily calm as she spoke.

"You yourself heard what Brokenstar had to say at the Gathering. He said-" Darkstripe began.

"Brokenstar only warned us of a rogue in the forest. He did not mention Yellowfang by name. The kits are safe. For as long as she is here in my clan, Yellowfang shall not be harmed in any means." Stormpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw heaved sighs of relief when no one dared to challenge their leader.

"If it is your wish, I will leave now Bluestar." Yellowfang said, eyes narrowed in respect.

"There is no need. You've done nothing wrong, and so you shall be safe here." Bluestar replied. She then lifted her blue gaze upon the crowd of cats before her.

"It is time we discuss the real threat to ThunderClan: Brokenstar. Preparations for a battle with ShadowClan have already begun. Those preparations shall be continued, and I will send out more border patrols. With WindClan gone and RiverClan given in to Brokenstar's demand for right to hunt on our territory, we stand alone to fight."

"Then we aren't going to agree to Brokenstar's demands?" Called Tigerclaw.

"Clans have never shared hunting rights before, for they have always managed to support themselves with what they had. There is no reason as to why this should change." The massive, long-clawed tabby nodded his approval.

"But can we manage to defend ourselves against ShadowClan? WindClan couldn't, and RiverClan won't even try!" Stormpaw held her breath. The old tom had just voiced her own worries of the upcoming battle. Bluestar met the old cat's eyes with a steady gaze.

"We have to try. We are not going to give up our territory without a fight." Yowls of agreement and nods of approval rippled through the crowd of cats.

"For now, I wish to speak with Lionheart alone." And with that, she turned and strode toward her den, Lionheart on her heels.

The crowd eventually thinned, and before long, it was only the trio of apprentices left.

"I think we should get some rest. Who knows when we'll have to fight ShadowClan?" Stormpaw spoke softly, and without waiting for her friends to agree, she stood and walked towards her den, deep in thought about that night's events.

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Oh yeah, I'm too lazy to reply to the reviews, but since you mostly just said very good, I'll make a little note, to no one in particular. -winkwink- You know who you guys are.

I'm glad you guys like the story and I hope that you enjoy all of the upcoming chapters. Also, if you guys like Moonpaw, you'll be glad to know that we'll probably be seeing a lot of her in the future. D


	6. A Trip to High Stones

I don't own warriors.

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"What did you wish to speak with me about Bluestar?" Lionheart asked, eyeing his leader with curiosity.

"I would like to visit Moonstone tomorrow. I need to speak with StarClan." The blue-gray she-cat curled her tail neatly in front of her paws as she faced him.

"I'd rather leave you here. The clan needs someone to take control if Brokenstar chooses to attack." Lionheart nodded.

"I'll take Tigerclaw with me, as well as Firepaw, Graypaw, and Stormpaw." At this, Lionheart spoke up.

"The three youngest apprentices? Why not Sandpaw and Dustpaw? They've been waiting to become warriors longer, and no cat can become a warrior without having visited Moonstone first." Bluestar looked up at her deputy and shook her head.

"No, I've made my decision. I have my reasons Lionheart. Believe me, I do."

The golden tom nodded, and turned to leave.

"I'll tell the apprentices that in the morning they'll need to pick up some traveling herbs from Spottedleaf." Bluestar nodded approvingly.

"Good."

* * *

"I can't believe we get to go to the Moonstone with Bluestar!" Graypaw exclaimed. Stormpaw shook her head.

"I can't either. Do you know how much closer this means we are to earning our warrior names?" Both Firepaw and Graypaw nodded.

"We should really go see Spottedleaf for those herbs." The fire-pelted apprentice stated. Graypaw snorted, and Stormpaw cuffed her gray friend's ear.

"What?" Firepaw asked.

"Nothing…It's just that lately you've been getting very…close to Spottedleaf." Stormpaw replied, carefully picking out her words.

"I have not! I've just needed to see her a lot so that I can get things for Yellowfang." Firepaw defended himself.

"Yeah, sure." Graypaw laughed.

"You don't need to lie to us Firepaw. We're your friends. So what if you like Spottedleaf a tiny bit more than you should? It's not like we'll do anything about it." Stormpaw said.

"Yeah, other than torment me about it, you mean." Firepaw replied sarcastically.

"Well, yeah, I guess there's that." Stormpaw teased, and immediately dodged the sheathed paw of Firepaw.

"Come on, we don't have all day. We'll be leaving soon." Firepaw said. Graypaw and Stormpaw nodded and followed him to Spottedleaf's den.

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"Yuck! This is the worst thing I've ever tasted!" Graypaw yowled.

"Disgusting or not, they'll help you to keep from becoming hungry on our trip to the moonstone." Bluestar explained. Stormpaw grimaced at the thought of eating the horrible herbs, but she obediently ate her share.

"Aren't you going to eat some Bluestar?" She asked.

"I can't. No cat can eat before visiting StarClan at the moonstone." Stormpaw nodded her understanding. When Tigerclaw, Stormpaw, Firepaw, and Graypaw had finished their traveling herbs, Bluestar gave a wordless flick of her tail, and the cats proceeded out through the gorse tunnel.

* * *

"Is that the Thunderpath?" Stormpaw heard Firepaw mew in awe. Her eyes were wide at the sight in the far distance ahead of her, stinging slightly from the faint smell coming off of it on the breeze.

"Yes." Stormpaw looked at her leader.

"So, we have to cross that?" Her question was filled more with curiosity than hesitation, though she was still a bit timid about the idea of any cat racing across the Thunderpath with the risk of being hit by a monster high at all times.

"Come, we can make it by moonrise if we keep our pace up." Bluestar ordered, rather than answering the black apprentice's question.

The cats walked on, making sure to stay near the hedges, and only when the sun was beginning to sink did the group make it to the Thunderpath. Stormpaw's eyes were stinging like crazy now. The Thunderpath's smell was much stronger than she had thought, and she watched through slightly watery eyes as several monsters roared past.

"We'll go one at a time." Stormpaw managed to hear Tigerclaw over the loud sounds of the Thunderpath. Bluestar nodded, and wordlessly, she herself bounded across the path first, skillfully staying away from any monsters, after having spent a few heartbeats waiting for a path to clear for her. Stormpaw made sure that she paid careful attention to her leader.

Tigerclaw motion for Graypaw to go next, who was lucky enough to have to wait for a single monster to rumble by before padding quickly across. Firepaw passed easily as well, just as his leader had. Tigerclaw flicked his tail at Stormpaw, and taking a small breath she walked up to the edge of the Thunderpath. Monster after monster passed, causing the young apprentice to wait longer than any of the others had. Nervously, she flexed her claws, praying to StarClan that she would get through her first journey across the Thunderpath alive. Finally, the were was a break in between the monsters, and Stormpaw saw her chance.

Quickly sheathing her claws, she bounded across, dimly aware of the fact that a very fast monster was rumbling down the path, much faster than any of the others. Stormpaw knew that she would not be able to make it the rest of the way across without gaining a serious injury, and even though it was dangerous, something inside told her to stop. Quickly, listening only to her instincts, she turned her back on the approaching monster and crouched down as low as she possibly could and squeezed her eyes tight. In a single heartbeat, the monster was roaring above her, ruffling her fur in the wrong direction. Soon, it's rumble became more distant, leaving a bewildered, yet uninjured Stormpaw in the middle of the Thunderpath. Hastily, she picked herself up and bounded the rest of the way across.

"You were right between its legs! I thought for sure it had gotten you." Graypaw said the last part a bit more quietly, and a look of total concern for his friend washed over his face. Both he and Firepaw gave her reassuring licks to the ears, and soon Tigerclaw was with the rest of the group.

"Crazy two-legs! Their insane, every one of them!" He spat.

"Would you like to stop for a moment?" Bluestar asked her. Stormpaw shook her head no.

Bluestar said nothing more of the event, but merely continued on her way, the four other cats trailing behind her. It wasn't long before the area smelled strongly of WindClan, obviously telling the group that they were at the border.

Stormpaw remembered that all leaders and medicine cats were welcome through another clan's territory so long as they were on their way to HighStones. Still, the feeling of trespassing bothered Stormpaw, and she couldn't wait to get out of this strange territory. Thankfully, the group made it through without running into a patrol and was soon out of WindClan territory, though there was still a bit of ground to cover before they reached HighStones.

They passed a few lone two-leg nests, though they were quite rare. One, not too far from HighStones by the looks of it, held a pair of dogs in the front lawn. The hounds howled at the sight of the cats, and their big jaws snapped open showing their large white teeth. All three apprentices crouched low, their fur bristling as they watched the dogs pull at their chains.

"It's okay, their tied up." Tigerclaw growled.

"It's best if we continue on our way. We don't want to take any chances." Bluestar meowed, and with that, their journey continued until finally, HighStones was only a few fox-lengths away.

Stormpaw noticed that as theygot closer tothe foot of HighStones, the terrain changed from lush, dark green grass to bare, rocky soil.

The she-cat apprentice watched as Bluestar leaped onto a large, flat rock, big enough for all five cats to sit on and rest. As soon as they were all settled, Bluestar spoke to the apprentices.

"This is Mothermouth." Not another word was spoken until the sun had gradually dropped behind HighStones, allowing the three apprentices to make out the cave entrance, but only slightly.

"We'll have to wait until the moon is higher. If you're hungry, you'd best hunt now while we wait." Tigerclaw was the first to head off for food, and then Graypaw, his growling stomach tearing him away from Mothermouth. Finally, Firepaw and Stormpaw headed off. The prey was plentiful, Stormpaw noticed, as she found two plump mice for herself. She headed back to the rock and Bluestar, only to find that she must have been gone longer than she thought since all three toms had already returned, each eating their meal. She laughed to herself as she saw Graypaw eating greedily as he usually did. Slowly, she padded over to them and ate her meal between bits of conversation with her den mates. Finally, Bluestar stood from her position.

"Come. It's time." Stormpaw and Graypaw looked at each other excitedly and followed their leader, Firepaw right behind them.

As they stood outside Mothermouth, peering into its darkness somewhat uneasily, Tigerclaw spoke.

"How will you find your way?" Stormpaw glanced at the massive warrior somewhat amused at how unsettled he seemed.

"I will know." Bluestar said confidently. Obviously, she had done this before, aside from her naming ceremony.

"Tigerclaw and Firepaw will come with me inside. I want Graypaw and Stormpaw to guard the entrance." With a flick of her tail to Tigerclaw and Firepaw, she disappeared into the darkness, with both toms she had named following quickly, not wanting to lose her. Stormpaw watched until the tip of Firepaw's tail had been covered in Mothermouth's shadows. She saw that Graypaw had already settled himself into a nice position, and Stormpaw did the same. Both cats sat in companionable silence for quite a while before Graypaw decided strike up a conversation.

"Well, this is exciting isn't it? We're outside as guards while Firepaw's inside exploring, the lucky furball." Stormpaw playfully cuffed the side of her friend's head.

"Your just jealous." She teased. Graypaw shrugged.

"Not really. Its nice being out here…under the moon and StarClan…all alone with you…" His voice trailed off, and Stormpaw felt herself growing hot underneath her fur with embarrassment. She was about to respond and say that she felt the same way when sudden rustlings from inside Mothermouth disturbed them. Before either of them could do a thing, Tigerclaw had emerged from the entrance, not looking at either of the apprentices. Graypaw gave Stormpaw a questioning glance, but all she could do was shrug her shoulders as she saw Tigerclaw retreat to a nearby rock, and begin to give himself what looked like a self-reassuring wash. She narrowed her eyes curiously, but shook the feeling off and settled back down into silence again, not wanting to tell Graypaw how she felt with Tigerclaw only a few fox-lengths away. Finally, Bluestar emerged from the darkness hurriedly, an anxious Firepaw right behind her. Tigerclaw padded over and matched his leader's strides as she began to head home, and the three apprentices fell in step behind them.

_Why is Bluestar in such a hurry to get home? Did StarClan tell her something bad was going to happen, or was happening?_ Stormpaw's thoughts continued for a long while, consuming her time, and she didn't even realize they had come to a stop, or that she was lagging behind her friends until she crashed right into Firepaw. She muttered an apology, but turned her attention to her leader.

Bluestar was speaking with a shaggy looking tom, his fur long and slightly tangled. His fur was a mixture of black and white smudges, and his eyes were a gentle amber. Just by his appearance, Stormpaw knew that she could probably trust this stranger.

"Bluestar, its good to see you again. How are you and your clan doing as of late?"

"It's good to see you too, Barley. The clan and I are fine. And what about you? Is the prey still plentiful?" Bluestar's voice was casual and friendly, but her companions knew that she was anxious to get home.

"The prey is still going strong. That's just about the only useful thing a two-leg can do. They keep the rats and mice around. Say, you seem like your more in a hurry than usual. Is something wrong?"

"We've just come from HighStones. I'm just anxious about getting back to my clan is all."

"Well, I suggest you take the longer way home."

Stormpaw looked at Barley. Why shouldn't they go that way? It _was_ faster after all.

"And why not?" Tigerclaw asked, his distrust towards this stranger dripping from his words.

"There are dogs off in that direction. You might have seen them on your way past."

"We know about the dogs Barley." Bluestar replied before Tigerclaw could.

"Yes, well, every night their two-legs untie them and let them roam around. I doubt you'd like a run in with a couple of dogs." Bluestar looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded her head.

"Thank you for your warning Barley." Tigerclaw sniffed disdainfully, making it obvious he didn't trust Barley. Bluestar nodded to her friend and led the way, but Tigerclaw's disbelieving meow stopped her and the three apprentices.

"You're actually going to believe him, Bluestar? He's a loner!"

"Barley is a very good friend of mine, and I trust him. We're taking the long way around." She started off again, this time with a very reluctant Tigerclaw following.

* * *

The return trip was uneventful, and it wasn't long before the group was back in ThunderClan territory. But Stormpaw couldn't help but notice how quiet it was. Usually at this time of day, mentors and apprentices would be out practicing, and a hunting patrol or two would be out. The young she-cat could also tell that her leader noticed the oddity of this situation and had picked up their already quick pace.

_Bluestar saw something bad from StarClan while she was sharing tongues with them, but what? _Stormpaw wondered all of the things that they could have shown the gray-blue she-cat. But as they drew nearer to camp, ShadowClan's revolting stench filled their noses, and sounds of battle were heard.

"Quickly!" Bluestar yowled and raced for camp, her companions right behind her.

They crashed through the gorse tunnel and were immediately separated and thrown into battle. Stormpaw found herself face to face with a light brown she-cat clawing at her flanks. Angrily, the black apprentice screeched and clawed her attacker in the face. The she-cat dug her claws in Stormpaw's shoulder and ripped it painfully, but Stormpaw remembered her training. Quickly, she pulled her claws away from the ShadowClan cat's face and dove away off to her side and barreled into her opponents side, allowing Stormpaw to pin down the other she-cat. Stormpaw bit down into the tabby's shoulder as hard as she could and gave her a few more decent scratches before the light brown queen screeched and ran out of the camp.

Looking up from where the she-cat had just been under her claws, Stormpaw saw that a pure white tom had Graypaw roughly pinned to the ground, while a pitch black she-cat was clawing at any part of her friend she could get to without getting in the white tom's way. Quickly, Stormpaw raced over, jumping on the tom's back, knocking him away from her den mate. He threw her off easily, and twirled around to face her. It wasn't long before he had her pinned down in the same position he had had Graypaw in earlier.

"Loners and kitty-pets shouldn't be warriors. I'll teach you your lesson, and you'll be lucky if you'll be able to run away when I'm through with you." He hissed. He was about ready to bite down into her neck when Stormpaw saw a shadow fall upon Blackfoot's form, and the warrior let out a yowl of shock as his group loosened on the apprentice below him. Quickly, Stormpaw saw her chance and clawed angrily at his soft under fur.

The same shadow figure that had helped her out earlier was Graypaw. Together the two apprentices attacked the large white warrior, and soon enough sent him into the bushes, yowling. Finally, Brokenstar let out a yowl, and ShadowClan retreated, and thanks to Yellowfang it seemed, without any ThunderClan kits. Stormpaw watched as Spottedleaf quickly busied herself with the injuries of those around her and watched as Bluestar turned the medicine cat away. Stormpaw respected her leader for waiting for the rest of her clan to be healed before she allowed her wounds to be taken care of.

Suddenly, a yowl of pain filled the air. At first, Stormpaw thought it might have been some reluctant cat, not wanting Spottedleaf to mess with their wound, but then her stomach clenched tight as she recognized whom the yowl belonged to. Quickly, she hurried over to Graypaw's side, Firepaw already at his left, and pressed her muzzle into his shoulder comfortingly, trying hard to be strong for her friend in his grief, and trying hard to ignore the sight of Lionheart's mangled but still body only a fox-length away. Lionheart, Thunderclan's deputy, Graypaw's mentor, a very powerful warrior that Stormpaw had actually managed to warm up to easily, was dead.


	7. A Shocking Surprise

I. Don't. Own. Warriors.

Yeah, long time no see. This chapter's pretty short I think, but whatever. I've been extremely busy with everything lately, and I sort of lost interet in this story for a while. But I'm trying to get back into it and such. I didn't have much inspiration for this chapter, so it's probably bad.

* * *

"Graypaw, you need to get out. Why don't you go hunting with me today?" Stormpaw looked at her friend with pleading eyes. She was met with a blank golden stare. Lionheart had only died the night before and Stormpaw had to continually remind herself that it was natural for Graypaw to be upset over the loss of his mentor. But it was hard seeing one of her best friends like this. In the short time between now and Lionheart's death, Graypaw had refused to say anything to anyone. The black apprentice felt guilty that she was not as upset over the deputy's death as Graypaw, and so, she had been trying to cheer her friend up.

"Please Graypaw? It'll be fun. We can go down to Sunningrocks. I know how much you love it there." She continued on, desperate to get her friend out of camp, if only for a little while. Again, her eyes locked with a blank stare. Stormpaw hissed inwardly, aggravated with Graypaw. He could at least try and keep his mind of it for a little while.

"Fine. I'll just go hunting without you then." She turned sharply, allowing her anger to get the better of her. She made her way towards the gorse tunnel, only to be stopped by Tigerclaw.

"Where are you going?"

"I was heading out to hunt. I thought it would be good to get out and hunt for a bit." Her words made her sound a bit older than she was, something she hadn't intended to do. After all, Tigerclaw was the new deputy and she had to be very careful with the way she treated him now. She knew that she couldn't afford to give him any more reasons to dislike her than he already had.

"Apprentices shouldn't hunt by themselves after Brokenstar's little speech. I'll becoming with you, making sure you stay out of trouble." Stormpaw had a sudden urge to unsheathe her claws, but managed to hold back. Tigerclaw was insulting her, declaring her unfit to be trusted in her own territory. However, Stormpaw followed her deputy out of the tunnel and towards Snakerocks. She figured this would be where he'd want to hunt. Either he wanted to make sure that Shadowclan had not trespassed, or he was giving Stormpaw a test to see whether she would make a dash to join the darker clan. Nonetheless, Stormpaw began her hunting just as she had proposed to do, as did Tigerclaw, though Stormpaw knew he was watching her carefully.

Stormpaw was having no such luck in finding any prey, but she did find something. A musty scent filled the air, the scent of a Shadowclan cat. It seemed as if Tigerclaw had discovered the smell as well, for he had come over and was following the trail Stormpaw had found. The apprentice followed silently as the warrior moved forward slowly and quietly, calculating each paw step until her suddenly came to a halt. Without hesitation, the large tabby lunged forward into a plant, claws unsheathed. Stormpaw heard a squeal of fright instantly.

"What do you think you're doing, trespassing on Thunderclan territory?" Came Tigerclaw's gruff question, every bit of ferocity making Stormpaw extremely glad she wasn't the one who had been ambushed.

As quickly as it had begun, it stopped, and Tigerclaw appeared, dragging a helpless figure with him. To her horror, Stormpaw instantly recognized the creamy fur and green eyes of her Shadowclan friend, Moonpaw.

* * *

Motivation helps too, by the way. I find it kind of funny how I have almost 1,000 hits on this story, and only 25 reviews. I've been swamped in a bunch of family and friend problems and homework as well. I can't guarantee that my next upate will be very soon, but reviews do let me know if you guys really want to read more, so send them in if you're tired of waiting several months for my updates.

And just to clarify, I'm not trying to beg for reviews, just letting you all know the circumstances. Well, I've got geometry homework, so I'll leave you be. Later to all of you who have read this, and much love to you and your families and friends.


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